By Gom Mirian
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has charged governments at all levels to end the recruitment and use of children in armed conflicts worldwide.
The child rights organisation gave the charge on Monday in Abuja at the annual observance of the ‘Red Hand Day’.
According to UNICEF, despite the international community’s efforts to eradicate this issue, children continue to be exploited by armed actors, with many remaining unidentified and unreported, particularly girls.
Cristian Munduate, UNICEF Representative in Nigeria noted that “Red Hand Day” is an important reminder of the ongoing challenge to end the recruitment and use of children in armed conflicts,”
“We applaud the efforts of the Government of Nigeria for the signing of the Handover Protocol for children encountered in the course of armed conflict in Nigeria and the Lake Chad Basin Region”.
“This moment is also another opportunity for the Federal Government of Nigeria to endorse the Paris commitments to protect children from unlawful recruitment or use by armed forces or armed groups and the Paris principles and guidelines on children associated with armed forces or armed groups”, she said.
She said UNICEF in partnership with other relevant stakeholders will continue to support the efforts of the Government to invest in the prevention of child recruitment and use, facilitate and scale-up the reintegration of children, especially girls and including women that exit armed groups in the north-east.
